Explained: Why the 21 July Martyrs’ Day rally matters to Mamata Banerjee

 Addressing the Martyrs’ Day Rally in West Bengal on Thursday, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee claimed that the BJP will be “swept from power” at the Centre by people’s mandate in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

The TMC marks 21 July as the martyr's day every year in memory of 13 Youth Congress workers who were killed in police firing during a rally on that day in 1993 when Banerjee was in the Congress and the CPI(M)-led Left Front was in power in the state.

This year’s rally is also special as it is the first after the party’s decisive victory in the state election in 2021 and TMC’s return to power for the third consecutive term.

While rallies over the past two years were held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s gathering is behind held in person.

Let’s take a closer look at the significance of the Martyrs’ Day Rally for Mamata:

What happened that day

In 1993, Mamata was a youth Congress leader spearheading the ‘No Identity, No Vote’ movement.

As per News9, the Opposition Congress was crying fraud and demanding voter IDs to ensure fair polls after the Jyoti Basu-led Communist Party of India (Marxist) government prevailed in the previous election with an overwhelming majority.

The 21 July rally, dubbed the writers Chalo Abhijaan by the Youth Congress, called for workers to move towards Writers' Building and lay siege to the state secretariat, as per India Today.

The Basu-led government deployed a large police presence and clamped Section 144.

Meanwhile, Banerjee, who’d drawn a huge audience, and her Youth Congress functionaries then began marching to the city.

Banerjee and her supporters were halted by the police near the Tea Board office. A confrontation ensued following which Kolkata Police beat up party workers and fired tear gas shells. In the melee, Mamata was also beaten and collapsed.

Meanwhile, at Mayo Road and Red Road, things escalated as protesters scuffled with police and pelted stones. Police responded with lathicharge and tear gas, but the crowd would not disperse. Finally, the police opened fire killing thirteen and wounding scores.

According to TMC’s Saugata Roy, over 200 Youth Congress workers were injured, as per India Today.

Significance of rally

That Mamata continues to observe the day even after forming the Trinamool Congress in 1998 and coming to power in West Bengal in 2011 shows its significance to her.

The day inextricably changed Mamata’s career, raising her public profile and garnering mass sympathy. Mamata would go on to form the Trinamool Congress in 1998.

In 2011, when Mamata became chief minister of West Bengal, she set up an enquiry into the 1993 police firing.

 

The Sushanta Chatterjee Commission in its report noted that the control room officers were "vicariously responsible" and "overacted" to please their political bosses, as per News9.

The commission also ordered Rs 25 lakh compensation each for the deceased.

As per Indian Express, the rally is held amid tight security arrangements in front of Victoria House in Esplanade. A huge makeshift stage is erected to accommodate party leaders, celebrities, and invitees. Mamata delivers a typically fiery speech to the cadre, and usually announces the party’s political roadmap for the coming year.

Mamata has over the years used the 21 July platform to share her party’s strategy for state and national politics. On some occasions, she has welcomed leaders from the opposition into the TMC at the event. A large number of film and television personalities, many of whom are TMC MLAs and MPs, take the stage and cultural programmes are held before leaders address the masses, as per the report.

Mamata takes aim at BJP

Speaking at the massive event, Banerjee also criticised the BJP for ‘destroying institutions’ of the country, contending that those who had no role in the Independence struggle are now trying to rewrite the country’s history.

“The BJP will be swept away from power by the people’s mandate in 2024. They will be defeated. I can certainly say that the BJP will not get single-party majority, and once that happens, others will unite to form the next government,” she said.

“Break BJP’s prison, bring people’s government in 2024," the feisty Trinamool Congress boss said at the Martyrs’ Day rally amid thunderous applause.

Banerjee also slammed the Union government over the increase in GST rates on pre-packed and labelled food items such as cereals, pulses and flour weighing less than 25 kg, terming it as “anti-people”.

“What will the people eat when the BJP is implementing GST on everything, even puffed rice and milk powder. How will the poor survive in this country?” she said.

Cautioning the saffron camp, the chief minister said if it tries to dislodge the Bengal government “just like in Maharashtra, they would get a befitting reply.”

With inputs from agencies